“Think of a Blitz as an opportunity to Think Wrong, when thinking right no longer works.” – John Bielenberg
A Blitz is what we call the Pando brainstorming model. Based in design thinking, it’s designed to spark brave ideas and generate a firehose of innovation — in a flash.
The genius of a Blitz lies in its people, so we aim to attract the broadest range possible. Blitzes celebrate the spirit of innovation that results from intersecting diversities. (On diversity and innovation, see one of our favorite books, The Medici Effect).
A lot happens over the 3-hour period of time we allocate for a virtual Blitz (longer if in person), but the greatest value comes after the event itself is over. Blitzes teach a methodology for unlocking creativity and give teams the tools they need for effective brainstorming throughout the whole of their project development process.
Date/time: September 23, 1:00-4:00 pm Pacific over Zoom.
Participants: All Pando Days school teams and Pando Days community members are urged to attend: students, instructors, sustainability professionals, creative types, sponsors, advisors, and more.
What did we Blitz about? This year’s Blitz had all Pando Days teams centered on a single challenge. It’s focus — bus stops.
The challenge: How might LA’s bus stops become something more than hubs to hail a ride — but portals to a sustainable region?
Because young Angelenos know that our streets are their future.
Background: Pando Days sponsor LA Metro is offering up its network of 12,108 bus stops across the Southland to be more than simply places to catch the bus — but to catch inspiration about what we can do to make the region thrive.
With 25 colleges and universities having enrolled in Pando Days since our first season, we’re in the middle of an unparalleled network of higher ed institutions doing amazing work on sustainability throughout the Southland. And all of these campuses are surrounded by bus stops.
How might we leverage the Pando Days network, Pando Days projects, and the work being done for sustainability generally at any of the participating Pando Days schools to further sustainability in the region, deepen engagement, and build the future we want to inhabit? How can bus stops be used to build upon and leverage the work that Pando Days is doing?
We asked all Pando Days teams to tackle this question during the Blitz from their individual perspectives. Now, we are in the process of assigning an implementation team to choose anywhere from one to three ideas to push forward in some fashion, with detailed plans and even prototypes. These will be presented at the Pando Awards event in April at Caltech.
The Blitz was led by design legend John Bielenberg, author of Think Wrong the book and Pando’s creative director, and serial entrepreneur Brandt Williams.
To learn more, see the following Blitz deck and watch a recording of this year’s Blitz below.